Once Upon A Summer's Night
by PharaohsThrone
Summary: Two boys who live completely different lifestyles, Yugi Mutou and Atem Sennen find themselves at a wealthy gathering, and when they cross paths sparks will fly...
1. Chapter 1 - Decision Of A Lifetime

**Once Apon A Summer's Night**

_(Started off as a Cinderella adaptation and I went from there, so there will be a few similarities but I've changed the story a lot so it's not so much the same)  
_

Yugi Mutou's family was once wealthy and happy, until his mother passed away when he was 9 years old. With that brought the downfall of their wealth and his father's happiness. Now, the only child lives with his father among the less fortunate in their town, with nothing but a small stone house and a horse stable to their name.

Up in the wealthy part of town, Atem Sennen lives in the largest and most luxurious mansion known to the small village. Being the son of the wealthiest family certainly has it quirks. But when his family hosts a high class gathering and invites all of their wealthy friends, Yugi finds himself sneaking in thanks to his friend Joey, and it's this decision that could possibly change his life forever.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Decision Of A Lifetime**

Yugi sighed as held up the long sleeved shirt that may once have been white, but hadn't been for a very long time. Now it was a light brown colour, with years of wear that were clearly visible. He dropped it back down into the wooden tub and continued to scrub at it, determined to get out the most recent stains. It was his best shirt, after all.

Yugi's family wasn't very well off, well not anymore anyway. They used to be quite wealthy, not the richest of families but they were still in the upper class. He was an only child, and ever since his mother had died his father went into a state of depression and their fortune went down the drain as the man drowned himself in alcohol. Yugi's father was a great man, and he still believed that, but lately there were more times than not when he seemed to be a better parent back before Yugi's mother passed. With an absent mind, Yugi wrapped his hand around the silver chain that hung around his neck. On the end of it hung a locket that his mother had given him just before she died. It had once been hers when she was young, but she had gotten a message engraved in it just for him when she gave it to him as a gift.

He shook his head, throwing away the countless thoughts that he'd had about his mother and wishing she didn't have to leave. He just had to deal with what life had given him and that was that.

Finally content that he'd washed the shirt the best he could, he pulled it back out of the tub and squeezed out the water. He then turned to hang it up on the washing line, but to his surprise he became face to face with his best friend.

"Hey Yug," Joey grinned, having effectively snuck up on the boy. Yugi let out a startled noise and jumped back, before waving the wet shirt in Joey's face.

"Don't do that!" He said, before pushing past the man to hang the shirt on the line. Joey just laughed and followed him, eager to tell him of a brilliant idea that he had. Devious, maybe, but definitely brilliant.

"You know how you're always complaining that you never get to have any fun?" Joey asked from behind him, leaning down to talk close to the boy's ear just to irritate him.

Yugi pulled his head to the side, holding his ear protectively after the verbal onslaught it had just received. "Maybe," he said suspiciously, turning to look at his friend. "What do you have planned?"

Joey's grin widened, showing all of his teeth, "A little birdie told me that one of the noble households were hosting a party tonight," he said with a devious smirk.

"And?" Yugi said, walking past Joey and back towards the wooden tub.

"And it's the most wealthy family in town!" he exclaimed, "Imagine the kind of shin dig these guys are able to throw!"

Yugi sighed, picking up the tub as Joey followed him eagerly. "Yes, but the un-wealthy, like ourselves, aren't invited to those parties, Joey."

"Oh come on, Yug!" Joey pestered, "We _have_ to get ourselves into that party!"

After tipping out the water, Yugi turned back to look at his friend, "And how do you suppose we do that?" he asked, crossing his arms after placing the tub back on the ground.

"Easy," Joey said, "We sneak in the back and throw on some clothes we find in the house, that way we'll look wealthy and nobody will recognise us so we can just pig out on awesome food!" he cheered. "Come on, Yug, it's brilliant! You can't let an opportunity like this pass up!"

Yugi sighed, looking at his friend who was pleading him with his eyes. He did want some excitement in his life, all he did every day was general household chores while his father worked day and night to earn their keep.

"Well..." Yugi said, throwing the idea around in his head, "I guess I could sneak out while my father is working tonight..." he drawled, his face scrunched into a look of concentrated thought.

"Yes!" Joey exclaimed, taking that as a yes, "Tonight is gonna be awesome!" he grinned widely, before grabbing Yugi and ruffling the boy's hair. "Alright, it starts at sundown, so I'll meet you at the town center just after then so we can sneak in!" His grin was so wide Yugi thought it would burst off of the man's face.

"Alright," Yugi said, "I better not regret this, Joey."

"You won't!" He said, before turning and jogging off in the other direction, "See ya tonight Yug!" he called over his shoulder. Yugi just stood there shaking his head, how did he let his friend talk him into these things?

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud husky voice, "Yugi!"

The boy suddenly turned and briskly made his way to the back door of his house, poking his head inside, "Yes, father?" Yugi could see his father sitting down in the kitchen, having just arrived home from his job as an Ironworker, and he only had a few hours before he would have to go out again. Because they were so tight on finances, he had to take two jobs and work twice as hard to get them the money they needed. Yugi was very grateful for how much work his father did, but he just wished that he wasn't so grumpy all the time because of it.

The man didn't turn around to speak to him, "We need some more fire wood, why don't you go fetch some from beside the stables?"

Yugi sighed, "Yes, father." As he turned to go collect some more firewood that he'd chopped up earlier, Yugi began to look forward to his and Joey's adventure that night. He wasn't used to sneaking around the place like that, but the idea excited him.

...

"Joey?"

"Over here, Yug!"

Yugi walked around the fountain that sat at the town centre, to see his friend sitting on the other side. He had an eager grin on his face as he jumped up.

"Ready to live like the rich kids?" he asked, still holding the grin.

Yugi laughed, "I guess. But how are we going to get in?" he asked. The front gates certainly weren't an option, there were people flooding through them and they would certainly be stopped if someone saw them trying to get in.

"No problem," Joey said, waving a care free hand at the boy, "I got it all covered." Joey lead the way as they inconspicuously made their way over to the rich part of town. Most of the people who lived here would be at the party anyway, so they didn't have to worry about being seen on the wrong side of town. They carefully sneaked up to the mansion, surrounded by a high stone wall. Joey seemed to have scoped the place out already, and knew the best place to climb over the wall without detection.

"Okay Yug, I'll give ya a boost," Joey said, "Once you're over, just duck behind the tree. There's a hug one on the other side of this wall," he explained. Yugi nodded, and Joey kneeled down so the boy could jump on his back, before pulling himself up and over the wall. When he jumped down the other side, the landing shook his ankles, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He ducked behind the trunk of the tree Joey had mentioned as the other boy jumped up, grabbing onto the top of the wall, before he hoisted himself up and jumped down the other side.

"Okay," Joey said, "Now, you see the second set of doors from the left up there?" he said, pointing towards the top story of the mansion, which had a balcony running all the way around it. Yugi nodded. "I'm pretty sure that's their son's bedroom. If we can get in there, we can swap these rags for some decent clothes, then nobody will suspect that we're not from this part of town."

"That's brilliant, Joey," Yugi said, surprised at how much his friend had thought into this. "But how do we get up there without getting caught?"

"Easy," Joey said, "We can just climb up that trellis," he pointed towards the wooden frame that had beautiful flowers blooming on it, which lead straight up to the second story.

"Perfect," Yugi said with a grin, before the two slowly made their way over to the building. They quickly and quietly scuttled through the garden, hiding behind bushes and branches, until they finally reached the bottom of the trellis. The windows of the mansion were closed by red velvet curtains, and they were still out of sight from the front gates, so they were able to take a breather before they started to climb up the trellis to the balcony.

Once they reached the top, Joey tip toed over to the double doors, peering inside. There were heavy curtains across the doors, but there was a small gap that he could see though. Just like he suspected, the room was empty. He tried the handle of one of the doors, and made a silent fist pump when it opened. All was going well.

"Quickly!" he said, ushering Yugi in before closing the door behind him. Without stopping to think, Joey threw open the doors to the wardrobe and Yugi was amazed at all the clothes this boy had. They were extravagant and he was sure that they all would look gorgeous on whoever this kid was. He probably had enough outfits that he would never have to wear the same one twice, a luxury Yugi never had. Joey quickly grabbed a random shirt and some pants for Yugi, tossing them to the boy.

"Here," he said, before grabbing some for himself, "Now nobody will suspect us," he grinned.

"What if he comes up and catches us in here?" Yugi said as he quickly stripped and replaced his daggy clothes for the expensive ones.

"He won't," Joey said, waving a care free hand at the boy, "He'll be down in the party with everyone else."

...

Atem walked out of the drawing room with a sigh. His parents had asked him to actually be present during this gathering, and couldn't understand why he would want to just stay upstairs and out of the way. The answer to that question almost ran straight into him as he turned the corner.

"Why hello Atem," the girl said, flickering her eyelashes at the man. He gave her a half hearted smile and tried to move past her, but she stepped in front of him, still looking at him with those lustful eyes.

_This is why I don't like being a part of these stupid parties_, he thought to himself with an internal roll of his eyes.

"Where are you off to?" the girl asked with a seductive smile.

Atem thought for a moment as he inched himself away from the woman, "You know, I was just about to go for a nap, I'm awfully tired. I'll see you later," he quickly turned and walked away from her, hoping that she wasn't following. He reached his bedroom door, and turned the handle just in case she was watching him, but when he looked back over his shoulder, she was gone. He sighed a breath of relief and turned to head in the other direction. At some time during this party he would have to make his presence known to the guests, but not right now.

...

Yugi and Joey suddenly froze when the door handle started moving. Joey cursed and closed the wardrobe doors as they panicked and tried to figure out what to do. They stared at the door handle as it stopped, and then went back to its original place. Obviously whoever it was had decided not to enter this room. _Thank goodness for that_, Joey thought.

They decided they should hurry up so Joey threw Yugi a pair of decent shoes, and he threw them on, having already thrown on the expensive clothes. Joey did the same, commenting that the kid wouldn't even notice that the clothes were gone because he had so many, and turned to the boy with a proud nod. Yugi suddenly noticed his mother's pendant hanging around his neck and thought that it would be best to hide it just in case, so he shoved it in the pocket of the comfortable pants he had on.

"Alright, let's go," Joey said with an eager smile.

"Wait a minute," Yugi said, stopping the man. "What do we do with our clothes?"

"Just shove them under the bed," Joey said, "I think its a fair trade," he said with a joking smirk. Yugi laughed, kicking their dirtied clothes underneath the lush comfortable bed, and they carefully made their way to the door. Joey cracked it open and looked out into the corridor. "All clear," he said quietly. "Now, let's go enjoy wealthy life!"

* * *

Okay, so I know I said I wouldn't post this until I finished one of my other stories, but I couldn't help myself xD

So prepare for drama and feels, because that's what I'm going to give you :D

Let me know what you think! :)

PharaohsThrone


	2. Chapter 2 - Behind Closed Doors

**Chapter 2: Behind Closed Doors**

Yugi and Joey casually made their way down into the party, fitting in quite well with the crowd. They grinned at each other as the other guests didn't seem to pay much attention to them. They weaved through the crowd, taking in all the extravagantly dressed people and feeling quite out of place. Women with beautiful long and bright dresses mingled with well dressed men, and their children gathered in groups as they always did. The rich kids always walked through town in their groups, and there were only a couple of them that Yugi and Joey were worried about running into, but there were so many people there, they doubted that would happen.

"Just remember Joey," Yugi mentioned as they walked through the crowd, "My father gets back from his shift at midnight, so we have to be gone before then."

"Midnight?" Joey asked, confused. "Where is he working?"

"The cemetery, don't you remember? You were there when he told me he was taking up the job." Joey made a noise of recognition and nodded as they looked around for something interesting.

"Look Yugi, Food!" Joey grabbed the boy's shirt, pointing towards a large banquet table, laid out with dozens of platters with food they had only dreamed of eating. It was like a dream come true for their stomachs. They bounded over to the table and grabbed handfuls of whatever they could find to shove into their mouths. Yugi couldn't tell what he was eating, he just knew it was all delicious. Him and Joey grinned widely as they tasted the extravagant food, not realising how hungry they actually were. Yugi couldn't imagine what life was like where you had food like this everyday, but for the time being, he could only pretend. Joey turned and casually looked through the crowd of people as he munched on his food, and he suddenly started hitting Yugi's arm repeatedly in panic.

"What, what's wrong?" Yugi asked, turning to the man. Joey pointed through the crowd to a familiar brown haired man who was talking to two girls.

"Seto?!" Yugi said in alarm, before Joey covered the boy's mouth so that they didn't draw attention to themselves. Yugi pulled Joey's hand away from his mouth so that he could speak in a hushed voice. "He'll kill us if he sees us here!" Joey nodded in agreement, and they decided to swiftly move around the corner of the large room. Once they had done so, they casually leaned against the wall, trying not to look like they were hiding from someone. After a moment, Joey peeked his head back around the corner, searching for Seto.

"He's coming this way!" Joey whispered in panic, before he pushed Yugi forwards, willing him to keep moving. Yugi ran through the room, hoping he wasn't drawing any attention to himself, before he realised that there was nowhere left to run. He had reached the end of the room, and there were no obvious exits. He looked around in panic, realising that Joey was no longer behind him, and noticed a small wooden door. Without taking another second to think, he darted through the door, closing it behind him tightly.

The first thing Yugi noticed about the room was that it was very dark. He stood against the door as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he noticed a stack of shelves against the far wall. He was in a store room. _Brilliant_, Yugi thought sarcastically. He didn't want to find the light, or someone might notice and come in, so he sat down against the wall. He could hear Seto talking outside the door, so he guessed he wouldn't be able to get out any time soon.

_Just brilliant._

...

"Mmm, your biceps are so firm," the girl cooed in Atem's ear as she caressed his arm, making him hold back a grimace.

He casually pulled his left arm out of her grip with a nervous laugh, "So they are..." He coughed uncomfortably, and went to move away from her, but turned and noticed another girl had appeared on his right. It appeared to be the same woman he had run into upstairs earlier, and he fought back a groan.

"Why hello again," she said with that same seductive smile, resting a hand on his arm.

Atem let out a strained 'hi', and almost jumped when the girl on his left ran her hand down his chest, noticing that she had moved much closer in the past few seconds. It almost seemed like she was eyeing off the girl who had just arrived. The one on his right did the same in response, moving closer so that she was practically leaning into his side. Atem shifted uncomfortably on his feet as the two girls seemed to have a silent war with their eyes. The woman on Atem's right then turned her gaze to him, those hazel eyes of hers boring into his as she ran a delicate finger along his jaw line. He fought back the urge to scrunch his nose at her, trying to think of a way out of this.

_I wish I could just tell them that I'm not interested_, he thought with an internal groan._ But if I did that they would most certainly ask why, and I can't afford to answer that question._

"How you were blessed with such ravishing features I will never know," the girl on Atem's right breathed into his ear, before sending a glare to the girl on his left.

He stepped back, pulling away from them both, relieved at gaining some space from the two. "You're both very flattering," he said after clearing his throat. "But I-uh-need some air. I'll be back in a moment." He took no time to dart away from the two, breathing a sigh of relief. One of these days one of the girls in this town was going to get confident enough to make a bold move, and he dreaded the thought. He turned the corner, and saw another group of girls gossiping in the corner. He bit his lip, hoping that they wouldn't notice his appearance, but luck wasn't on his side today. One of the girls squeaked and pointed, and they all turned and stared at him.

_God dammit._

Atem made a bee-line for the big double doors at the end of the room with haste as he heard the girls calling out to him, trying to gain his attention. Much to his disappointment however, he noticed another group of girls crowded in front of his only exit. He mentally cursed, wanting to give anything just to have some time to himself without being attacked by a hoard of females. He spied the storeroom door, and quickly ducked inside, closing the door behind him quickly, hoping they didn't notice him come in here. He leaned against the door, holding his breath as he heard the gossiping girls go straight past.

Atem sighed in relief, not realising that he had in fact been holding his breath, and a movement in front of him caught his eye. He looked down, and noticed to his surprise that he wasn't alone. Sitting in front of him against the wall, was a boy, looking up at him curiously.

"Uh...hi," Atem muttered, looking down at the boy. He couldn't see all of the boy's features in the dark room for his eyes had not adjusted yet. He blinked a few times, and when he did become comfortable with the darkness, he could see well enough to tell that the boy was gorgeous. Large, entrancing eyes looked up at him, holding nothing but curiosity.

Yugi looked up at the strange man, and was glad for the darkness of the room, for a blush crept onto his cheeks upon noticing how attractive this stranger was. He smiled warmly and waved at the man, "Hello."

Atem's lips curled up into an amused smile as he sat down against the door. "So, you're hiding too, huh?"

Yugi chuckled and nodded, "If Seto sees me here he'd be sure to have my head," the boy shuddered.

"Seto?" Atem asked, raising his eyebrows. He was surprised to hear his cousin's name, though he wasn't sure what the man's relationship was with the offspring of the other wealthy families. "He's a great fellow," Atem pointed out.

"Not to me he's not," Yugi muttered with a shake of his head. There was a silence, and it did feel slightly awkward, as Yugi stared at his feet, trying not to eye rape the attractive stranger sitting in front of him. After a moment, he spoke, "So who are you hiding from?" he asked.

Atem shuddered, still faintly hearing the girl's voices outside the door. "The hoard of horny girls," he groaned. "I escape two of them only to run into a dozen." He raked a hand through his hair, momentarily wanting to release his thoughts. "I just wish I could tell them the truth so that they would leave me alone..." he muttered. He had to admit, the boy's presence was comforting. He had a friendly aura that just seemed to welcome Atem, and just the boy's simple smile made him feel at ease, especially since he was finally away from all the people (and especially his many admirers).

"And what's that?" the boy asked curiously.

"That I'm not interested in women," Atem said with a sigh, before his breath caught in his throat. He had spoken without thinking, had given an automatic response, and now he couldn't take it back. "Oh, shit," he cursed, his eyes wide. He looked over to the boy, as he started to panic, waving his arms around madly with a pleading look on his face. "You didn't hear that! I didn't say anything! Please don't tell anybody that I said that! Oh god I'm an idiot-"

He was cut off abruptly when he boy grabbed his arm. "It's alright, I won't tell anyone, calm down," he said assuringly. Atem sighed and pulled his knees up to his chest, mentally scolding himself for being so stupid. One more slip up and that would be the end of his wealth.

Yugi carefully watched the man, who obviously felt quite embarrassed after revealing such information. Atem dropped his head down onto his knees, wishing he didn't have to hide this fact, for if anybody found out it would be the end of him for sure. He avoided the boy's eyes, wondering why he had been so quick to brush it off. He was sure if anyone in this town found out about his sexuality that he'd be shamed and humiliated and not doubt disowned by his family. It was a terrible feeling, thinking that just because he wasn't like everyone else, he'd never have the kind of relationship he dreamed of.

Atem scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "So, you don't care that I'm...?" he couldn't finish the sentence, as his cheeks burned red from being put in such a situation, especially with a boy so pleasing to his eyes.

Normally, Yugi wouldn't have been compelled to say the words he did in the next moment, but he felt like he wanted to comfort the man, and he knew that opening up would indeed do that. He shook his head, "Not at all. In fact...I have the same problem," he admitted with a shrug.

Atem lifted his head up in surprise, "You do?" Yugi nodded shyly, playing with the cuffs of the expensive shirt he was wearing. "Wow," Atem laughed, letting out a sigh of relief. "I never thought I'd run into someone with similar interests," he said with a chuckle.

Yugi laughed nervously, "Neither did I, really."

Atem gave the boy a friendly smile before moving away from the door, content that it wouldn't burst open, and he sat against the wall next to Yugi. "It's a living hell, really," he added with a sigh.

"Why's that?" Yugi asked automatically, though he was sure he knew what the answer was.

Atem laughed dryly, "Well I get constant attention from all the girls in this town, but I can never seem to get away from them," he sighed. "Actually, I find it quite funny, the fact that no matter how many compliments they give me, it'll never seem that great, but if a gorgeous male ever gave me a compliment, I'd probably melt into a puddle at his feet," he said, shaking his head.

"Well, uh," Yugi stammered, looking down at his hands. "If it helps, I um, I think you're very attractive," he smiled nervously up at the man, who returned the smile warmly.

"Thank you," he said, his eyes not leaving Yugi's.

The boy suddenly felt uncomfortable, so he turned away, his cheeks a flush of red. "So, do you always have those girls chasing you?" he asked, looking down at the expensive shoes he was wearing.

Atem nodded with a sigh, "Unfortunately. Its a curse, being attractive."

Yugi chuckled nervously, "I wouldn't know."

"Are you kidding?" Atem asked with raised eyebrows, looking the boy up and down, "You're gorgeous."

Yugi felt his cheeks turn a darker shade of red, as he looked down at his hands again. "Thank you."

Atem thought for a moment and then gave the boy a crooked smile, "So...does that mean you've never been kissed?"

Yugi was caught surprised by his question, and he didn't think it was possible for him to blush even more. He stuttered for a moment, before giving up on words and just nodding in response. Atem was still smiling at the boy, as he leaned in closer to speak softly.

"Do you want me to fix that?" he murmured, his eyes locked on Yugi's. The boy felt his face go even redder-if that was even possible-and he couldn't seem to find his voice as his mouth went dry. This incredibly attractive man was invading his personal space and he didn't know what to do.

"If...if you want to," Yugi stammered, feeling his palms start to sweat. Atem took the boy's nervous reaction as a good sign, and he felt his own heart beat speed up as he leaned in closer, finally being able to take advantage of the only chance he might have at exploring his sexuality. He had kissed girls before (that was how he discovered he wasn't interested in them) but he never thought he'd be able to find out what it felt like to kiss a male. Atem was slowly getting closer and closer, and Yugi's heart was thumping in his chest so fast that he swore he could hear it. It was just an innocent experiment, Yugi thought as he closed his eyes, but his breath almost caught in his throat when Atem's lips brushed against his.

* * *

Here you go guys! Chapter 2 and there's already some action ;) haha, this just leads to the main story that's all, but I hope you like it so far!

Because it's meant to be a Cinderella adaptation, I tried to set a time period for it but my research didn't get me anywhere, so it's set before cars were invented like the original Cinderella but I couldn't actually find an exact period in time where it was set, so just go along with it :P

Anyway, please tell me what you think!

PharaohsThrone :)


	3. Chapter 3 - Bliss and Ignorance

**Chapter 3: Bliss and Ignorance**

Atem pressed his lips against Yugi's, and his heart suddenly did a dance in his chest. It was such a weird feeling to him, but he loved it just the same. His hand automatically reached up to stroke the boy's face tenderly, as he was enjoying this much more than he originally thought. Yugi had never dreamed that he would ever get to act on his attraction towards males, but here he was, locking lips with a complete stranger. He melted at the man's touch, wrapping his arms around Atem's neck to pull him closer, deepening the kiss. Yugi's head was spinning but he didn't want to pull away, didn't want to end the moment, for he was afraid he would never get a chance like this again.

Atem was surprised at the boy's eagerness, but happily wrapped his arms around Yugi's waist, relishing the feeling of the boy's lips on his own. Never had he thought that he would ever get to give in on such impulses, and he felt an overwhelming sense of comfort as the two kissed. It was as if a new page had been turned, opening up a whole new world of hope. Until now, Atem had been quite depressed when it came to relationships, knowing that the town would never accept that he wasn't interested in women. Not only that, but even if they would accept him, he didn't think there was anybody like him in the entire town.

Much to his relief though, he was wrong.

The kiss had started off as a cute little experiment between the two, for they both wanted to know what it would be like to actually get the kind of kiss they wanted: one from a male. As the kiss continued, however, neither of them wanted to pull away, only moving their bodies closer to the other. It seemed to give them both a great sense of comfort, knowing that there was someone like them, and the feeling of being in each other's arms sent both their heads spiraling.

Finally out of breath, Yugi pulled away, sure that his cheeks were as bright as a tomato, glad that the room was dark. Atem noticed the darkness and was relieved also, for his cheeks were flushed as well. The two of them just stared at each other for a moment, both breathing heavier than normal, and blushing madly.

Yugi finally managed to find some words, as he tried to calm his heart beat. "That was...nice," he murmured, still looking at the man.

Atem couldn't help the smile that creeped onto his face. "That was more than nice," he replied, his face still dangerously close to Yugi's. The boy felt his face overheating, and he squirmed in his spot.

"I need to stand up," he said suddenly, before bolting upright. Atem was caught surprised by the boy's sudden move, and when he noticed Yugi sway on his feet from standing up so quickly, he stood up as well, grabbing the boy's shoulders to steady him. He noticed that the boy looked quite flustered, and Atem wasn't quite sure what to do. He went to reach out to the boy, but Yugi stepped back, hitting the wall behind him.

Atem took this as a bad sign. "I'm sorry, should I-"

"No, it's fine," Yugi said, feeling bad for portraying the wrong kind of signal. "It's just-" he felt his cheeks turning red again when he tried to think of the right words to say.

"Just what?" Atem asked, when Yugi paused. Yugi looked up at him, and those gorgeous crimson eyes looked down at him softly.

"It's just that...I've never been this close to someone so attractive before..." he mumbled, biting his lip as he looked at his shoes. It was true though, the intimacy had caused him to feel so flushed he felt like he needed a moment of space to collect his thoughts. After standing up though, he had managed to calm down, and felt silly for his momentary freak out, though his embarrassment hadn't passed as of yet.

"Do you want some space?" Atem asked, moving to step back.

"No!" Yugi said maybe a little too quickly, grabbing Atem's hand before he could move back any further. "I'm fine now," he smiled. "In fact...I want you closer," he admitted shyly.

Atem gave the boy a crooked smile, moving closer as he wished, placing his hands on the wall, either side of Yugi. The boy could smell the wonderful aroma from whatever cologne this man must have been wearing, and it made his head spin.

Atem would have been lying if he said he didn't want to feel the boy's body pressed against his, but he decided to let Yugi have the last say. "Is there anything else you want...?" he murmured, locking eyes with the boy.

Yugi's heart beat quickened again, but this time he didn't feel quite as nervous. "...Kiss me," he breathed.

With a willing smile, Atem leaned in and captured the boy's lips with his own once again, and if it weren't for Yugi grabbing onto Atem's shirt, the boy was sure he would have collapsed.

Joey hadn't been able to find Yugi since they split, and he was becoming worried. When they had spotted Seto, Joey had ducked behind a curtain, while Yugi continued to run. Seto had walked straight past the lump in the curtain, following where his friend had gone. As Joey wandered through the crowds of people, he wondered if Seto had caught Yugi, and he bit his lip as he looked around. Maybe Yugi had gone home? He wasn't sure, but either way, Yugi didn't have much time left before he would have had to leave anyway. As Joey walked through the crowd wondering if he should go home or not, he wasn't paying much attention to the people around him. This changed however, when he accidentally bumped into someone. Joey turned to apologise, but as the tall man turned around, the blond froze.

"Seto," he said in surprise, his eyes wide as the brunet glared down at him.

Seto's face scrunched up into a disgusted look. "What's a dirty mutt like you doing in the Sennen household?" he growled, advancing on the blond.

Joey stepped back, trying to think of a reasonable excuse as the other man towered over him. Joey wasn't considered short, but Seto was a very tall man and the blond had to lift his head to look him in the eyes. "I-er-know their son?" his statement then turned into a question with his uncertainty, as he gave Seto a somewhat corny grin.

Seto simply narrowed his eyes at the other man, looking him up and down. "I don't know who you stole those clothes from," he glowered, "But if you don't get out of my sight within the next 30 seconds, you'll get my foot up your ass."

Joey raised his eyebrows at Seto's threat, certainly not wanting to know what a rich foot felt like on his behind. Just as Joey turned to flee, Seto added, "And I will know if you are still here, Wheeler, so you better go crawl back to your own side of town."

Joey gulped as he darted for the nearest exit, hoping that Yugi had already left, for he didn't want Seto to find his friend there, as well. Joey quickly weaved his way through the crowd, not looking back as he felt Seto's stare on his back. _Stupid Kaiba_, he thought with an internal growl. _One day I'll teach him a lesson, but not today._

...

Yugi let out a content sigh as he leaned against Atem's chest, facing away from him as the other man comfortably had his arms rested around the boy's waist. They didn't know how long they had been in the store room for, but neither of them cared. They had just enjoyed the other's company, as they chatted and relaxed in each other's arms.

Yugi chuckled as Atem rested his chin on top of his head, "Comfy there?" he asked teasingly. Atem felt the boy's body tremble as he laughed, and a smile spread across his face.

Atem chuckled, "Yes actually, unless this is uncomfortable for you." Yugi went to shake his head but then realised that Atem had his chin resting on it, so the boy spoke instead.

"No, it doesn't bother me," Yugi replied, before there was a comfortable silence. Atem let his mind wander, thinking about how it wasn't long ago when they had shared an awkward silence. He was glad that they had become so comfortable with each other in such a short amount of time, but this boy seemed to have some sort of quality about him that just made him easily lovable. Yugi rested his arms on top of Atem's where they rested on his waist, letting out a content sigh.

"I never thought I'd ever run into someone like you," Yugi said as he relaxed against Atem's chest.

Atem chuckled, "The feeling is mutual, yet here we are," he tightened his grip around the boy to back up his words. He shook his head with a soft smile on his face as he looked down at the gorgeous male he was holding, and Yugi turned to look up at him. "I barely know you and yet I feel like I can be myself around you more than anyone else," he murmured, staring into those adorable amethyst eyes.

Yugi untangled himself from the man as he turned to face him, "Because nobody will accept you for who you are?" he asked.

Atem nodded, "I feel more comfortable around you than anyone I know," he smiled, "In fact, I haven't even asked for your-"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence, for Yugi had silenced him with a kiss. Atem did not complain as he wrapped his arms around the boy once more, temporarily forgetting his question. Although Yugi was quite happy locking lips with Atem, he had kissed the man for another reason, that being he didn't want the other to ask for his name. Soon enough, the man would realise that Yugi was nothing but a fraud, and he didn't want that to ruin this night. As soon as Atem realised that Yugi was from the lower class, he would dismiss the boy and tell him to go back to his own scummy side of town. As nice as Atem seemed, the boy was sure that any upper class man would do the same. He pushed those thoughts away however, as he enjoyed the feeling of the man's lips on his own. Atem then deepened the kiss, moving one of his hands up to tangle it in the boy's hair. Yugi had his hands resting on Atem's chest, and he lightly traced the outline of his pectoral muscles through his shirt, wishing that the night would never have to end. Eventually they broke apart, in need for air, and they sat there staring at each other, not caring that they were basically complete strangers. What mattered to them was that they could share the one thing with each other that nobody else could ever know, and it was this fact that had brought them so close in the couple of hours they had been together.

Atem smiled warmly at Yugi, "You know, I'm really glad my parents hosted this party, now."

It took a moment for Yugi to register exactly what the man had said. "Y-your parents?" Yugi asked, realisation hitting him like a brick.

"Yes," Atem said, as if confused that Yugi didn't know who he was, "This is my house, I'm the son of the Sennen family."

Yugi's eyes went wide, _I've been making out with the son of the richest family in all of town?!_ Yugi had most definitely heard of Atem Sennen before, he was the hottest guy in town, and all the girls were after him. He frequently heard the lower class girls swooning over him as they whined about how the rich girls were lucky to have a chance with him. Yugi had never actually seen the well-known man though, for the wealthy stayed on their own side of town as did the poor. Yugi knew that he was with an attractive wealthy man who had girls after him, but he didn't realise exactly how wealthy and sought after he was. And this whole time he had been with Yugi locked in a store room while sharing head spinning kisses. It gave him quite the ego boost thinking that although all those girls were after him, Atem didn't care for them one bit.

It was then that Yugi realised that it must have been Atem's clothes that he was wearing, and was glad that the man hadn't recognised Yugi's attire as his own. Perhaps it was because he owned too much clothing to notice, or that Yugi's current clothes were common between wealthy households, he wasn't sure.

Atem looked concerned after revealing his identity to the boy, "Are you alright?" he asked, one of his arms still around Yugi's waist while the other lingered at the back of the boy's head.

Yugi shook his head and tried to pull himself together after such a shocking discovery, but his heart sank a little also. Now he was sure that Atem would turn sour the minute he realised who Yugi really was. He pushed his crushed thoughts aside for the moment, trying not to think past when he had to leave this haven. "Yes, I'm fine," he lied, giving Atem a reassuring smile. "Just caught me by surprise, that's all."

Atem raised his eyebrows, "Didn't you know-" once again, he cut off, as Yugi suddenly snapped his head around towards the door. "What's the matter?" he asked, the concern in his voice evident, as well as his confusion.

"What's that noise?" Yugi asked, still staring at the door with wide eyes.

Atem furrowed his eyebrows, "That's the grandfather clock, it's midnight." They could hear the loud echoes of the clock from where it stood in the main room. He wondered why the sound of a clock had this boy on edge, however.

"Midnight?!" Yugi suddenly jumped up in his place, his eyes wide and filled with panic as he ripped himself out of Atem's arms. "I have to go-"

"Wait!" Atem jumped up and grabbed the boy's arm in a desperate attempt to stop him from leaving. Yugi turned back to the man, and his chest tightened, he didn't want to leave at all, but the fairytale night was over, and he had to come back to reality, and that meant leaving Atem behind. "Please, stay," Atem begged, staring down at the boy. He didn't realise how much he had enjoyed the boy's company, though he knew that he felt completely comfortable around him. There was nobody else that Atem knew he could be himself around, and he didn't want this night to end.

Yugi tore his eyes away from the man, unable to face him as he spoke. "I'm sorry, I can't explain, but I must go," he murmured, looking at the ground.

Atem felt his heart sink, but he sighed and nodded his head. He then drew the boy to him once more, and gave Yugi a kiss to remember. Their lips clashed and moved together, as they held the other close, and as Yugi tried to pull away, Atem held him tighter, begging for entrance with his tongue. Unable to resist Atem's lips, Yugi opened up willingly, as their tongues then clashed in a battle for dominance. Atem then backed Yugi into the wall again, his hands cupping the boy's face. Yugi couldn't help but run his hands down Atem's back, before resting them on his waist as the kiss made him feel dizzy and light headed. Finally, they broke apart for air and Yugi tried to pull away, his face flushed and sweat beading on his forehead as he untangled himself from Atem's arms.

Atem grabbed the boy's arm again as he tried to move to the door, "Can I at least know your name?" he asked, still breathing heavily from their kiss.

Yugi squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, before looking down, "I'm sorry," he then tore his arm from Atem's grip and ran for the door. Atem vaguely heard the sound of something metallic hitting the ground, but his mind wasn't on that. He tried to follow as Yugi threw the door open and disappeared into the crowd of people, all of them completely oblivious to the man standing in the doorway, looking defeated and broken. It was no use pursuing him now, he was gone, and so was the blissful few hours they spent together. Atem turned and leaned against the doorway as he sighed heavily, trying to collect his thoughts. He then noticed something shine under the light that filtered into the dark store room. Curious, Atem walked over and picked up what looked like a silver locket hanging from a chain. It looked quite expensive from its design, and Atem admired the beautiful pattern carved into it. He then opened it up to reveal a picture of a young woman with dark hair, smiling brightly. Atem could definitely pick out the similarities between her facial features and the boy that he had been with all night. This must have fallen out of his pocket as he was leaving.

Atem then noticed something engraved across from the photo. _'To my dear little Yugi, love mum'._

"Yugi..." Atem murmured as his hand closed over the pendant, "I'll find you again."

* * *

Long chapter this time! I hope you enjoyed this one ;) but now is where the real fun starts! And yes, if you haven't guessed already there's going to be a lot oh homophobia in this story, but that just makes it more interesting!

Anyway, please tell me what you think!

PharaohsThrone :)


	4. Chapter 4 - The Morning After

**Chapter 4: The Morning After**

The next morning, Atem woke up with a feeling of uncertainty in his stomach. He had spent the night dreaming of Yugi, though it had made him consider whether all those events the previous night had actually happened. His stomach twisted at the thought that his mind could have made it all up. Could he have just dreamed up the boy? It had all seemed too perfect, for them both to end up in the store room like that, and for them to have similar interests. He sat up in his bed, thinking of the events that had happened the night before. _Was that all a dream...?_ He thought, raking a hand through his hair. He didn't know what he would do if that had been a dream, but it had seemed so real, yet much too good to be true. He sighed, before he turned to his bedside table, and his eyes lit up. Sitting atop the wooden structure, was a small silver pendant, reflecting the light that was shining in through the window.

"Yugi..." he murmured, a bright smile on his face, "You are real." He reached over and picked up the pendant, opening it once more to look at the photo inside. Yugi's mother was a beautiful woman, but by the looks of it this photo had been taken a long time ago. He wondered why he had not recognised the boy or his mother for that matter. Perhaps they were one of the families that lived in those mansions on the edge of town, preferring to keep to themselves more. Whatever it was, Atem was determined to find the boy again, and he was going to start today. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and almost squashed a small grey ball of fur that was on the floor. Confused, he looked down, and smiled.

"Good morning Sidney," he cooed at the kitten, reaching down to pick her up. She protested however with a small meow, before going under his bed, obviously on a mission. Atem raised his eyebrows, before standing up and then kneeling down next to his bed. "What are you doing under there?" he asked, peeking under the beautifully made structure of his bed frame. His kitten had ventured underneath the bed, started tugging at a pile of rags, and clawing at them. Confused, Atem reached over and grabbed the rags, causing his cat to meow in protest, before following out from under the bed as he examined them with raised eyebrows. "They're clothes..." he said, turning the stained shirt over in his hands. "Lower class clothes...?" he was beyond confused at this point. "How did they get in here?" Too early to use his brain, Atem tossed them back to Sidney for her to play with, and after he pat her on the head and received a grateful purr in return, he pulled on his robe and headed out of his room into the hall, Yugi's pendant still in his hand.

He reached the dining room, where their maids had already prepared breakfast, and his parents were seated, waiting for him. "Took your time getting out of bed," his father chuckled, a newspaper open in front of him.

Atem walked over and took a seat as one of the maids brought over his breakfast, "Well that party of yours went on much past midnight, I was bound to sleep in." He had placed Yugi's pendant in his pocket, and he could feel the cool metal against his skin through the thin fabric of his robe. His mother commented on how they didn't see much of him last night, and he noted dryly that he had spent the whole time being violated by women as be began to eat.

"Oh come now, Atem," his mother urged, "You can't tell me that not even one of them sparked your interest?" His parents had been quite keen on him finding a wife soon, and the reminder made Atem's gut do a backflip. The idea of being wed to any of the females in this town was absurd to him. He had thought not long ago that he could deal with being married to a woman so long as she was kind and understanding, then maybe he would be able to handle it. Now however, he was afraid that no woman's personality would convince him to marry them. They all wanted him for his good looks, anyway, and he didn't want to know what some of the women wanted to do with him. He tried to fight off a shudder at the thought. Now that he had met Yugi though, he was faced with a new dilemma. Not only was he gay, but he had found someone that he was interested in, and if he planned on pursuing this boy, he had to make sure that his parents never found out, for that was what he was most afraid of out of anything.

"No, mother," he replied, having remembered that she had asked him a question, "It's hard to judge a woman's personality when she's got her hands all over me," he huffed.

His father roared with laughter, "You don't need personality, boy!" he said, before lowering his voice as he leaned across the table, "You need one that's good in bed," he winked at Atem as the man inconspicuously pointed to his mother, and the teen paled. Now that was the last thing he wanted to hear _or_ imagine. Not to mention the idea of marrying a woman just for sex, that was what Atem was most afraid of. Soon his parents would force him to marry a woman, and she would expect him to fulfill her...needs. And as soon as he would refuse to do so, his secret would be out. His stomach dropped as he realised the reality of the situation. But somehow he knew that Yugi would help turn things around for him. He wasn't quite sure how, and he had to find the boy first, but when he did he knew he would be happy for once.

Atem needed to change the subject, much wanting to forget the image of having to bed a woman. He cleared his throat, "Father, do you know which family that attended our gathering has a son named Yugi?" he asked, shoveling some more food onto his fork.

Mr Sennen gave his son an odd look, as he placed his own fork down on the table, "Son, there are no wealthy families who have a child named Yugi," he stated. "And trust me, I know them all."

Atem raised his eyebrows, but tried to not show how surprised he was by that answer. "I'm sure you do..." he murmured, using his fork to push his food around the china plate. If his father had never heard of the boy before...then who was he...?

...

Yugi walked out to the kitchen of his small stone house, to see his father leaving for work. Yugi gave him his usual wave of goodbye and promised to do all of his daily duties, but before the man walked out, he looked over his shoulder and said, "And don't forget to take Blaze for a ride, you know he gets agitated when he's cooped up for too long." He gave the boy a smile, before disappearing out the door.

Yugi smiled, Blaze was one of the two horses they owned, and by far his favourite. He went outside to go bring in the washing he had done yesterday, and was surprised to see his friend walking over of whom he hadn't seen since they split up the previous night.

"Hey Joey," Yugi said as he picked up the woven basket, "Long time no see." Joey laughed as he followed Yugi over to the piece of rope that hung between the house and the horse stables, as a washing line.

"What happened to you last night?" Joey asked. "I looked everywhere for you after we split." He watched Yugi pull the various items of clothing down from the line, curiosity creasing his eyebrows.

"I um...stayed in a secluded part of the mansion," Yugi replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "Where did you go? I turned around and you were gone."

Joey laughed nervously, "Yeah, I kinda ran into Seto later in the evening," he explained. "He wasn't very happy, but I managed to get out of there without too much of a hassle with him, though he did threaten to put his foot up my ass." Yugi laughed, walking past his friend to pull the rest of the clothes down. "Did you have a good night at least?" Joey asked, watching Yugi as he moved around him.

Yugi placed the clothes into the basket and when he stood up straight again, he had a dreamy smile on his face. "Yeah, I did..." Joey creased his eyebrows at his friend, as the boy appeared to be staring at nothing.

Joey walked over to Yugi, pointing a long finger at him, "I know that look," he said, a knowing smirk on his face, "You met someone, didn't you?" Joey was very aware of Yugi's interests, and was probably the only person in the entire town who would accept him for it. Well, apart from Atem that is. Joey had actually discovered this one day when he caught Yugi checking out another man, and upon grilling the boy about, it had slipped out. Yugi was alright with Joey knowing though, he was his best friend, after all. Yugi simply nodded, still smiling into the distance. Joey elbowed the boy in the ribs with a cheeky smile, "Was he dreamy?"

"He was," Yugi murmured, still stuck in his trance. Joey found this very amusing, he looked like a love sick teenager.

Joey snapped his fingers in front of Yugi's face for effect, before asking, "So when are going to see him again?"

Yugi seemed to snap out of his trance, and he looked at the ground sadly, before picking up the clothing basket in his arms with a sigh. "That's just the thing, Joey," he said, turning to walk back to the house, "I can't see him again."

"What?!" Joey basically cleared the surrounding trees of their wildlife with his sudden outburst, and he ran up to Yugi who had started to walk towards the house, blocking the boy's path. Yugi didn't look up at him as he continued speaking. "Why not? Who is it?" he asked.

Yugi finally looked up at his friend, but only for a moment as he answered, "Who he is," Yugi began, before pushing past Joey to get into the house, "Is why I can't see him."

Joey followed Yugi into the small stone house not unlike his own, staying on the boy's tail. "Well then spill it, who is he?" he asked.

Yugi placed the basket down on the kitchen table, and began to organise the clothes. He didn't like the idea of talking about those few blissful hours he had spent with Atem, for it only reminded him of how it was over, and there was no way it could happen again. Ever. Yugi was already upset enough about losing his mother's pendant. He had been so caught up in Atem's gorgeous charm that he mustn't have noticed it fall out of his pocket at some stage. Yugi lifted his hand up to where the chain usually hung around his neck, and his stomach twisted when he didn't feel it there. Sometimes just wrapping his hand around the pendant would comfort him, but now he had lost it, just like his time with Atem.

Yugi sighed, as he split up his clothes from his fathers, "He's the son of the wealthiest family in town," he muttered miserably, before giving up and sitting down on one of the wooden chairs at the table.

Joey raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You mean Atem Sennen?!" He exclaimed with wide eyes. Yugi nodded sadly, "No way! I never would have guessed that he-"

"Joey, please," Yugi said, leaning his elbow on the table to support his head, "You're not helping."

"But-" Joey was ecstatic that his friend had been canoodling with the most sought after guy in town, and if he were gay, he'd be jealous. "That's hitting the jackpot Yug!" He cheered, "Does he know who you are?" Joey pulled out another chair and sat across from his friend, looking at him eagerly.

Yugi shook his head, looking at the ground, before looking up at Joey with the most serious expression he had given the man since their conversation began. "And he can never know, that's why I can't see him again," he explained. "If he finds out that I'm not from a wealthy family he'd be sure to turn his nose up at me and bust me for being at their party." Joey felt sorry for his friend, for Yugi looked the most upset that he had seen him since his mother died. Whatever had gone on between him and Atem must have been pretty intimate if he was this upset about it all.

Joey placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder, "Well, how was he acting towards you?" he asked.

Yugi was caught by surprise, "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well," Joey began, "If he really cared about you-even though you just met-he wouldn't care that you're from the lower class," he explained.

Yugi still didn't look very sure about that. "No Joey, he could be the sweetest guy in town, nothing can change the fact that we don't belong together." Joey looked surprised by his statement. "Think about it Joey, the rich date the rich, that's how it has been and that's how it'll always be. Not to mention the fact that having a relationship with another male is completely out of the question, rich or not."

"Oh, come on, Yug, it could happen-" Joey tried to reason with him, but Yugi was stubborn.

"No Joey, it couldn't." Yugi seemed pretty set in his mind about this. "Yes, Atem and I had a wonderful few hours together, but that was in a store room for goodness sake, and I was pretending to be someone I'm not. Nothing can happen beyond that, if anyone were to find out that an upperclassman was dating someone from the lower class, it would spread like wild fire, and the whole town would be against them. And might I add that being anything other than straight may as well be punishable by law."

"But it isn't-"

"But if anyone found out about a homosexual couple, it would destroy them both. Joey, the odds aren't for this no matter how you look at it. Yes, I like men, but I can't do anything about that in this society. I'm lucky that I even had a chance to be with Atem for those few hours, but now it's over and I have to get back to reality." He stood up, as if finalising that the conversation was over, and took his clothes to his room, leaving Joey sitting in the kitchen, still taking in the whole speech that Yugi had just performed.

There was one thing that Joey had learnt about Yugi in the early stages of their friendship, and that was that he was incredibly stubborn.

* * *

So we have Atem determined to find out who Yugi is, and poor little Yugi being incredibly stubborn and saying that nothing could ever happen. Think that Atem can find him and change his mind? Probably, but the real problem is what happens after that... ;)

Hope you guys are liking it so far! Please tell me what you think :)

PharaohsThrone


	5. Chapter 5 - Reunion

**Chapter 5: Reunion**

There was only so far Joey could push in a situation like this, and it seemed that Yugi was standing his ground. After thinking about it he felt quite lucky. He didn't have to worry about sexuality or class, for the person he was interested in was a girl who lived right beside him. He couldn't help but lose himself in his thoughts of her long beautiful blonde hair that cascaded down her back in curls, and those entrancing amethyst eyes. She was a sweet girl, and it hadn't taken long for Joey to fall for her.

"Shit!" Joey suddenly jumped up from his seat, "I told Mai that I'd help fix their cart!" Joey took no time in making his way to the door, before calling out over his shoulder, "Sorry Yugi I gotta go, I'll see ya this arvo!" Without another thought, he darted out of the house and swiftly ran along the dirt road towards the little shack that Mai lived in. They had known each other longer than Joey had even known Yugi. They had always lived alongside each other, and their parents had always been great friends, so Mai and Joey practically grew up together. He was almost kicking himself though, for their family's only income was the goods they sold in town off of their cart, which was currently broken and unable to hold much stock at all. Joey had promised to fix it this morning so that they could still manage to sell at least something today, and so he picked up his pace so that he could do just that.

...

With a sigh, Atem wandered through the town, slowly walking further and further towards the town center. He held Yugi's pendant in his hand, and he had spent the whole morning asking anyone he saw if they knew who it belonged to. So far, everyone he had asked had simply shook their heads. It was clear now that Yugi wasn't part of a wealthy family, and so now Atem was wandering around the middle class part of town, and he had purposefully dressed down so that he didn't stick out like a sore thumb. He was sure that most people here recognised him anyway, but he waved off their stares, if asked he could come up with a completely reasonable excuse as to what he was doing in this part of town, dressed below his class. He finally reached the town center where people from both lower and middle class gathered with their carts and trolleys, trying to sell various goods from fruit and vegetables to blankets and clothes. He had never been to this part of town before, and was surprised at how busy it was here. Crowds of people moved here and there, and he had to dodge a few who were clearly in a rush as he made his way over to the fountain in the middle.

He sat down on the edge of the fountain, looking down at Yugi's pendant. It eluded him how the boy had managed to get into his mansion that night if he wasn't a part of a wealthy family, but that only made him want to find Yugi even more. He was obviously quite smart, and Atem couldn't rest until he found the only person that had made him feel like himself-ever. Even if the boy was from the lower class, he just had to find him, and he couldn't let this go until he did.

Little did Atem know, at that very moment Yugi was currently in town on a trek to buy some bread. The bakery sat just before the town center, and as Yugi approached he looked around to try and find his friend Joey, knowing that he would probably be helping Mai's family stall, if he had fixed their cart yet that is. He soon spotted his friend behind the stall, selling the quilts that Mai's mother made-they were very well done and it had only been her own mother who had taught her how. What made Yugi stop in his place however, was the look on Joey's face. Yugi creased his eyebrows as he stared at his friend, who was staring wide eyed at the large fountain that marked the center of town. There were almost too many people for Yugi to see exactly what Joey was staring at, and why he looked so surprised. Yugi tried to follow his friends gaze, and through the crowds of people, what his eyes landed on made his whole body freeze in surprise.

Sitting on the edge of the fountain, was Atem. He was facing the side as Yugi stared at the man, so luckily he didn't spot him at first. Yugi knew the rational thing to do would be to run, to hide himself within the crowds of towns people so that Atem didn't see him, but for some reason he couldn't get his feet to move, it was as if his whole body disagreed with what his mind was telling him. He felt a hot flush go through him, and he couldn't help but take in the man's appearance now that he could finally see him in broad daylight. God, he was gorgeous. His blond bangs fell over his face as he looked down at an unknown object in his hand, and the sun shone down on him as if he were some sort of angelic being. Yugi would have laughed at his thought, had he been able to. The sun was shining on everybody in the square, it was just that Atem was the only person Yugi was looking at. Yugi almost couldn't believe that he had spent a blissful night with the man, hidden away in the store room in his lush mansion that sat on top of the hill. Yugi could even see it now, towering over the town, reminding them all of how poor they were.

Yugi was pulled from his thoughts when Atem moved, scanning his eyes over the crowd, and suddenly they landed on him. Yugi's eyes widened in fear, and his stomach dropped to his ankles. From the look on Atem's face through the crowds of people, there was no doubt that the man recognised him. Suddenly all that Yugi had hoped for had come crashing down. He had hoped to never see Atem again-nope. He had hoped the man would never find out that he was poor-nope. He had hoped that he would never have to explain himself-shit, Atem was walking this way.

Finally able to make his feet move, and knowing that his heartbeat was already thumping in his chest, Yugi turned and started sprinting in the other direction, dodging the many people who were casually walking through the town on their morning errands. He wasn't sure if Atem had pursued him, but he didn't want to turn around and see the man running after him, for he was sure that the mere sight of the man would make his insides melt and he would do something stupid like stop or fall over.

Much to his own annoyance, after battling with his mind for several seconds, he took a glimpse over his shoulder as he ran down the dirt path that lead to the lower class residences, and his eyes caught the wealthy man running after him, a mix of emotions on the man's face-there seemed to be so many that Yugi could barely understand them. Hope? Confusion? Hurt? Determination? Though Yugi had told himself that he wold be completely fine if he took a glance in the man's direction, he hadn't anticipated stumbling upon seeing how open Atem looked. There was no mask, no hiding what he was thinking, it was all written on his face, clear as day, though jumbled as Yugi tried to decipher it in his head. Because of this surprise, Yugi had stumbled down the hill as he ran past Joey's house, and his foot caught on a large brick stone, causing him to tumble into the dirt. Now out of the crowds, he could hear the sound of Atem's running footsteps approaching him, calling out his name. _Wait, how does he know my name?!_ Yugi scrambled to his feet, not looking back and darted towards his house, desperately hoping that he could throw Atem off course as he winded between houses-though very small ones. He looped around the neighboring house, before darting around the back of his own, and swiftly ducking into the stables, taking refuge in the corner.

Atem had been so relieved when he caught sight of Yugi, standing only 40 metres away, but what had surprised him was that Yugi was already staring back at him, and that in the next second, the boy had taken off in the other direction. Not wanting to lose the only opportunity he had at finding the boy, Atem had started to follow him, desperately trying to push through the crowd as his eyes tried to follow the boy, but he was gaining distance fast. Soon Atem had managed to break through the crowd, and he had ran after Yugi as the boy darted through the town. Luckily Atem's long legs made him able to gain a bit of distance, but as soon as Yugi looked over his shoulder, the boy had tripped over and tumbled into the dirt. Atem hoped that he could catch up to the boy and help him, but he had scrambled to his feet and kept moving, his already tattered clothes now covered in dirt.

Finally Atem had just spotted him darting into a small horse stable around the back of one of the small houses, and he slowed to a walk to catch his breath. Suddenly so many things flooded his mind. He had hoped that their reunion would be different to this, but now his mind was going wild. What would he say? Why had Yugi run away from him? What would he do if the boy wanted nothing to do with him? He swallowed, before slowly pushing the stable door open. It was a cute little stable, and he saw two beautiful horses inside, one of which neighed at him in almost a greeting. He wasn't sure if it was a happy greeting though or a warning one. Still, he slowly walked past the horses and soon saw the mess of spiky hair in the corner, hiding behind a stack of hay.

Yugi pressed himself against the wall as he saw the pair of expensive shoes come into his line of vision. He had pulled his legs up to his chest, and was still trying to slow his breathing silently, but now it was all useless. Atem stepped in front of him, and Yugi slowly looked up cautiously, but as soon as he saw the man's face, he buried his head in his knees.

"Please," the boy begged, "Go away." Atem had expected this kind of response, considering that he had to physically chase the boy not a minute ago. But instead of complying, he kneeled down in front of him, taking in the boy's appearance. As soon as he had laid eyes on him in the town center he had known that the boy was poor, but looking at him now with his matted hair and covered in dirt, his heart went out to Yugi. He had never put much thought into what life was like to the poor, and he regretted that decision now that he knew someone from this side of town.

"Yugi..." he said softly, reaching out to the boy. Yugi lifted his head up, but tried to move away from the man's offer of comfort.

"How do you know my name?" he demanded, trying to keep his stare hard, but it was so difficult when all he wanted was to fall into Atem's arms.

Atem didn't equal his stare, instead he looked at the boy with soft eyes, "Why did you run away from me?"

Yugi couldn't stand to look at the man for too long, as memories from the previous night flooded to the front of his mind. He had to hold back his desires, life was no fairytale, and Atem was not a prince! He looked to the side as he answered, "I asked you first, how do you know my name?"

Atem sighed softly, though he appeared to have incredible patience. "I'll tell you that if you tell me why you ran away," he persisted.

Yugi squirmed in his spot, still looking at the ground. Well, now that the man had cornered him, it was clear that he wouldn't go away until he got answers. Yugi sighed, before muttering, "I didn't want you to know who I was..."

Atem raised his eyebrows, before gently placing a hand on the boy's knee, still pulled up to his chest. "And why didn't you want that?" he asked, though he had a general idea of what Yugi's answer would be.

Yugi finally managed to look up at the man again, and the sadness was clear in his voice when he spoke next. "Look at me! I'm not wealthy, I'm the lowest of the low. People like you don't associate with us and I'd be surprised if you didn't turn your nose up at me in disgust and rat me out for being at your party." He then noticed that Atem had done nothing but speak softly and look at him with caring eyes. "Wait...why haven't you done that yet?"

Atem ignored his question, and like he said, revealed why he knew the boy's name, by pulling the pendant out from his pocket, "You dropped this when you left last night," he said, holding it out to the boy.

Yugi's eyes widened in disbelief, and he snatched the pendant out of Atem's hand in relief, opening it to see that his mother's picture was still there. He then saw the engraved words on the other side, and realised that was indeed how Atem knew his name. Yugi cradled the pendant for a moment, before slinging it back around his neck with a relieved sigh.

"Thank you," he murmured, grabbing the chain like he always did when he was nervous or stressed. He was just happy that it was back around his neck. He looked back up at the man who was smiling at him warmly. Okay, he was beyond confused now.

"Your welcome," Atem said, his soft eyes making Yugi's insides melt from their gaze.

Yugi wasn't sure what to say, and as he looked to the side he stumbled over various sentences. "But-how did-why are-" he sighed, scratching the back of his neck, "What are you doing here?" he finally decided on asking. "Why did you follow me, even though it was clearly obvious that I'm poor and didn't belong at your party."

Atem had to admit, he was pretty surprised that Yugi was poor, but it didn't scare him off one bit. He was actually astounded that Yugi had managed to fool him, and he admired the boy's smarts and courage to pull such a stunt. And poor or not, this boy was the only person that Atem had ever met who could bring out his true self, and he didn't want to let Yugi slip out of his grasp.

"Yugi, I don't care that you're poor and snuck into the party," Atem explained, making Yugi raise his eyebrows, "In fact, I'm actually surprised that you managed to do that without getting caught. But the fact still stands that you are the only person I've ever met that I can be myself around," he said, his eyes not leaving the boy's. "And...I really like you, rich or not," he admitted. Sure, the boy looked like a mess and was covered in dirt, but he still looked just as appealing as he did the night before.

Yugi couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Atem really as rich as he seemed? He couldn't possibly say all of this if he was son of the wealthiest family in town, that just didn't happen...or could this gorgeous man actually change all of that and break the gap between the classes? No, one man couldn't do that, but Yugi was sure he couldn't resist him for much longer.

"You...you don't care that I'm poor?" Yugi asked, looking up at the man. Atem shook his head, smiling, and he grabbed the boy's hands that were resting on his knees, and pulled him up so that they were both standing. He didn't let go of Yugi's hands though.

"Yugi, I don't want to just forget that last night ever happened, because to be honest, that was the happiest I've been in a very long time," Atem admitted, looking in Yugi's eyes for any sign of rejection.

Yugi could feel his heart thumping so hard in his chest he had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Surely this only happened in fairytales and not in real life. But Atem was standing there holding his hands just like the prince he'd read of when he was little. He had to blink a few times to make sure he was still there, but he was, smiling down at the boy with those gorgeous eyes, Yugi had to make sure his legs didn't decide to buckle beneath him. He hadn't been able to make himself speak, his mouth felt dry and any words he could conjure died in his throat.

When Yugi hadn't answered, Atem decided to say something that would require the boy to speak, for he looked a little stunned. When he opened his mouth to speak, he suddenly felt incredibly nervous. He'd never done this sort of thing before, and he only hoped that he wouldn't make a fool of himself. "Would you...uh..." he would have scratched the back of his neck had he not been holding onto Yugi's hands, and he didn't want to let go either. "Like to..." he swallowed, watching Yugi's expression, before the boy managed to snap out of his trance, and Yugi gave him a wide smile, as if reading his mind and already knowing his answer.

Yugi found Atem's nervous stuttering adorable, and he couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face, and for that moment, he forgot about everything that was bad about his answer, and he blurted it out before Atem could even finish his sentence. "Yes. Whatever it is, yes," he said, his heart thumping in his chest so loud he swore Atem would be able to hear it. The taller man was beaming from ear to ear after hearing this, and it made Yugi's heart melt.

Without a second thought, Atem pulled the boy towards him and kissed him with as much fervor as he could muster to show how happy he was. Yugi was caught by surprise with his sudden intensity, but he grabbed onto Atem's shirt so that he didn't fall over, and kissed back just as passionately, unable to believe that this was actually happening. Atem Sennen, the richest teen in town had chased after him even after finding out that he was poor, and now he was in the man's arms once again, locking lips like they were back in the store room again. Atem backed him into the wall and caressed Yugi's cheek with his hand, as the boy wrapped his arms around Atem's neck and pulled him closer, parting his lips so that their tongues could clash. Yugi moaned when Atem's tongue massaged his, and the heat between their bodies was rapidly rising as they kissed, the rest of the world completely blocked out. If Yugi had the sense to think through the passion of their kiss, he would have stopped, but all he wanted was to pull the man closer, feel their bodies pressed together like their lips were, as they stayed in their bubble of passion. Their moment couldn't last forever however, and soon reality would hit them like a ton of bricks, but for now they just enjoyed their moment, wrapped in each other's embrace, and all that Yugi was thinking was that it must have been a dream.

* * *

You guys better love me! I could have waited til the next chapter for their reunion but I decided to be nice :P So I hope you liked it! That's probably the quickest I've ever written over 3000 words, too, I was on a roll! (as in, I started a couple of hours ago and didn't stop til I was done...except to get food and such)

Anyway, please tell me what you think!

PharaohsThrone :)


	6. Chapter 6 - Decisions

_**A/N: Hello everyone! I just wanted to thank you all for all the lovely reviews I've received so far for this story, you are all just wonderful! Each review gives me more motivation to keep writing, so thank you very much :D If I had cookies I'd give one to each and every one of you :) So, have a virtual cookie... :D**_

_**Anyway, without further a due, onto chapter 6!**_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Decisions**

After a long and blissful locking of lips, the two men finally pulled away from each other, in an attempt to regain their breath, though their grip on the other did not loosen. Breathing heavily and face flushed, Yugi looked up at Atem, his own back still pressed against the wall of the stables. It was in that moment that they stared at each other that something clicked inside of Yugi, and reality crashed down on him like a tidal wave. Sadness filled the boy as he cast his eyes down and unwound his arms from Atem's neck, to place them gently on his chest. The taller man creased his eyebrows, wondering why Yugi looked so down, he thought the boy would be ecstatic considering the moment they just shared, but it appeared not.

Atem cleared his throat, "Yugi-" but before he could question, the boy cut him off.

"We can't do this," the boy said, still looking at the ground as he gently pressed against Atem's chest. The man complied and stepped back from the boy, hurt and confusion clear in his eyes. He went to protest, but Yugi held a hand up to silence him, not daring to look in the man's eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I love being with you, but..." Yugi was glad that he had space once more, it made it easier to think without Atem's cologne invading his senses and turning his mind to mush. At the same time however, he didn't like being away from the man, it was pitiful, he thought.

Atem sighed, suddenly catching on to what Yugi was implying. "But this is wrong," he murmured. "That's what you're saying, isn't it?" He could see the sad look on the boy's face as he nodded. "You're right," he added, casting his eyes down also, admiring the stack of bundled hay Yugi had been hiding behind. "If anybody knew about this, who knows what would happen..." He looked back up to Yugi, who was leaning against the stable wall with one arm across his body. He then stepped forwards again, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders. "But what if nobody knew?" he suggested, causing Yugi to look up at him again.

"You mean...sneaking around?" Yugi asked. Atem nodded, and Yugi looked unsure. "I would like that, but wouldn't it be close to impossible? It's not even just hiding the fact that we're both males, you're from the wealthiest family in town, and I'm just a nobody..." Yugi dropped his head again, and Atem grabbed the boy's chin, lifting it back up to look into Yugi's eyes.

"You're not just a nobody," he said sternly. "Would I be here right now if I wasn't willing to take the risk?" he asked, before adding, "I'd be the one who would cop the most if things went bad, anyway." Yugi would have smiled, seeing the spark of mischief in the man's eyes, but the situation prevented him from doing so.

Yugi looked unsure again, as Atem dropped his hand, letting the boy look away. "...You really would risk all of that just for me?" he asked quietly, before looking up at the man once more.

Atem smiled at the boy, "Of course," he said, "I told you before, you are the only person I've ever met that...well, you're the only one who's made me this happy," he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.

Yugi smiled at the man, having made his decision. "Alright," he said, now sounding more confident than before. "Let's do it."

The smile on Atem's face only broadened, and he pulled Yugi towards him and wrapped him in an embrace. Yugi chuckled, returning the hug, glad that he had been given a chance to try and make this work. He could definitely get used to being in Atem's arms, for his embrace felt so comforting he wanted to stay like that forever. They were reminded of the outside world however when they heard a voice calling out Yugi's name, not too far away.

Yugi pulled back, "That sounds like Joey," he said, listening to the voice. He then sighed, turning back to Atem, "You should go..." he murmured, staring up at the man with apologetic eyes. Atem nodded in agreement, still smiling. "How are you going to get out of here without getting noticed?" Yugi then asked, sounding slightly worried.

Atem smirked, "Don't worry about that," he said, before leaning down and pressing his lips against the boy's cheek in a chaste kiss. As the man drew away, Yugi couldn't help the blush that coated his cheeks, and Atem smiled at how cute it was, as he slowly started moving back, still smiling at the boy. "Until next time, cutie," he said with a wink, before disappearing out of the stables.

Yugi was left leaning against the wall, with his hand softly against his cheek where Atem had kissed him. He had a stupid smile on his face as he did so, and didn't really have the motivation to move from where he was, as his mind ran over the events of the morning. He couldn't believe it, he was secretly dating the wealthiest and most attractive man in town. His knees felt weak at the thought, and he sighed, already lost in his own fantasy. He was then pulled from his trance by a familiar booming voice as it grew closer to the stables.

"Yugi!" The boy had almost forgotten that Joey had been calling out his name, until the man in question poked his head inside the stables, his eyes alight with curious unanswered questions. When he saw Yugi standing in the corner with a stupid grin on his face, Joey let out a chuckle. Yugi saw the teasing smile on the man's face, and he blushed even more. "So..." Joey said, a mischievous smile on his face as he walked in, and Yugi tried to straighten out his clothes. "Want to tell me why a certain wealthy man was sneaking out of here?" he asked. Yugi chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head as his blush deepened. Joey had seen the man chase after Yugi when he was in town, so he had a fairly good idea what had gone down when he found Yugi smiling stupidly and blushing madly hidden in the stables where Atem had just come from. Seeing Yugi's reaction Joey just grinned. "You legend!" Joey cheered, running over and grabbing the boy in a headlock as he messed up Yugi's hair.

Yugi laughed as he tried to pull himself out of the man's grip, and he batted Joey's hands away, his cheeks still a shade of pink. "Shh Joey, you're the only one who can know about this!" he was trying to sound serious but his goofy smile was still there.

Joey just laughed at the boy. "Yeah yeah, I know," he grinned, before adding, "So much for 'it could never happen' huh?" he teased, nudging Yugi's arm.

Yugi rolled his eyes, standing himself up straight again, "Yeah, yeah," he waved a dismissive hand at his friend. "But it's going to be really hard keeping this up," he admitted, creasing his eyebrows in worry.

Joey was still grinning, "So you're actually dating?" he asked eagerly.

Yugi tried to stop himself from blushing as he crossed one arms across his body, "Well, I think we are. But whatever the label is we're going to be sneaking around a lot to see each other."

"Don't worry about it!" Joey grinned, pulling the boy over by his arm, "I got ya covered!" he said, giving Yugi a playful solute with his fingers.

Yugi just laughed, "Thank you, Joey."

...

Later that afternoon, Yugi watched his father leave for his cemetery shift with his eyebrows raised considerably. The boy had taken Blaze out for a ride shortly after Joey had left, and upon his return he realised his father had arrived home from his morning job. What was different than usual however, was that his father had appeared happier than previously. The man had a knowing smile on his face as he sat at the kitchen table, munching on a piece of bread. Yugi commented on his father's change of behaviour, and the man had simply raised his eyebrows, before pulling out a folded piece of paper and waving it in front of Yugi's face with an amused smirk. Yugi creased his eyebrows in confusion.

Yugi's father chuckled, drawing the paper back, "Does my boy have a love interest?" the old man teased, indicating the paper. Yugi's cheeks flushed red as he attempted to fish the paper out of his father's hand, feeling quite confused. After a slight struggle, Yugi managed to snatch the paper as his father chuckled. "I found that wedged in the door when I returned home," he explained, taking another bite out of the bread. Yugi carefully unfolded the paper and stared at the elegantly written inked words on the page.

_My dear Yugi,_

_Meet me at the edge of the forest tomorrow at noon if you wish, I would love to spend the afternoon with you,_

_Atem._

Yugi couldn't help the warm feeling that spread through his chest when he read the short note, and his father chuckled once again.

"So, who's this mystery man?" Yugi's father asked. Yugi almost dropped the letter, and he paled drastically. Of course, his father would have read the letter, meaning that he knew it was from a man. Yugi gulped, and couldn't find the words to speak as his mouth went dry. His father did not look angry or disappointed however. Instead, he gave the boy a soft smile, "Relax, Yugi. I already knew your interests were not towards women," he explained.

"But-" Yugi spluttered, trying to regain his composure, "How?" he finally asked. The man explained that he had heard Yugi and Joey talking about it one afternoon when he returned from work. Yugi finally managed to gather his thoughts together so that he could manage a proper question. "So...you don't mind that I'm...?"

The man shook his head, "No, my boy. I realised that I haven't been the best father of late, but I do still want what's best for you. Although it's not the most popular opinion, your orientation will not make me love you any less. You are my son, after all." _I doubt that's what Atem's parents would say_, Yugi thought miserably. The man then continued. "Yugi, if such an opportunity comes up that you can experience the joy of love, I want you to take it and hold onto it. Some of my best memories are those I had with your mother, and I don't want you to lose such happiness as I did, just because a few people don't agree with your interests."

Yugi didn't know what to say. He had never expected his father to be so accepting of his secret, that had turned out not to be a secret after all. He was just standing there, staring at his father as if he'd never seen the man before. Finally, he was able to pull himself out of his trance, and a wide smile spread across his lips.

"Thank you, father," he said, staring at the man with grateful eyes. His smile then dropped however. "I am very lucky have a parent like you, but Atem is not so lucky..." he said, casting his eyes to the floor.

"And why's that?" Yugi's father asked, "Who is this boy?" he asked.

Yugi lifted his head up once more, surprised that his father hadn't guessed already. "Why, Atem Sennen, the son of the wealthiest family in town," he said, and he felt his own ego go up by simply stating that fact.

His father's eyebrows disappeared under his hair, "My," he said in surprise, before composing himself once more. "Well done," he joked, elbowing the boy in the ribs. Yugi laughed, as the man said, "You'll have to tell me the story behind this later."

"Oh, don't worry father," Yugi laughed, "You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

Sorry this chapter was a bit shorter than my previous ones, but don't worry! the next chapter will be filled with fluffy goodness xD

Also, if you haven't seen already, I've posted a list of story ideas on my profile that shall be started once i finish my current ones, they all have a name and a description (well, most of them have names) and if you wish, you can send me your preference for which one you'd like me to start first! Cause honestly, I have no idea which to do first :/ so some help to guide me in the right direction would be a lot of help!

Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter!

PharaohsThrone :)


	7. Chapter 7 - Afternoon Hideaway

**Chapter 7: Afternoon Hideaway**

The next day Yugi bounded out the door of his small stone house like the eager teen he was. While trying to get to sleep the night before he realised that all he could think about were those gorgeous crimson eyes gazing down at him, and it only made him more excited to spend the afternoon with the wealthy man. He had to remind himself however that this relationship wasn't going to be a walk in the park. He had to be careful, or Atem would be shamed in front of his whole family, and all the wealthy members of the town, and Yugi couldn't let that happen. He was about to swing the door shut behind him and head off towards their meeting place, when his father called out.

"Yugi," the man appeared by the door as the boy stopped and spun around, waiting expectantly for his father to continue. "Please do be careful with this...relationship of yours. I know you like this boy, but you must remember if anyone knew what you were doing, it would be very ugly." Yugi could see nothing but clear concern in his fathers eyes, and the weight of his words were very real.

Yugi sighed, casting his eyes down. "I know, father." He then looked back up at the man as a thought hit him, "How come you accepted it so easily though? I honestly thought you'd rip me to shreds," he admitted sheepishly.

The man chuckled, looking down at his son, "At one point, I probably would have. But since discovering your interests I've had quite a while to come to terms with it, and I know what it feels like to be torn away from the person you love. So, if he makes you happy, then that's good enough for me. Besides, what else have we got to lose?" The man smiled, and Yugi beamed from ear to ear, before yelling out his thanks as he turned and ran down the dirt path, leading to the outskirts of their town, lined by tall, luscious trees. Yugi wasn't quite sure how he was going to find Atem, for all he had said in his note was that he'd be at the edge of the forest, but that could be anywhere in 400 meters. Yugi decided the best bet would be to follow the road where it met the line of trees, and walked casually along the dirt, trying not to act like he was looking for someone. Luckily, as soon as he reached the line of trees, he saw a familiar figure standing further in, just off of the road. Atem was standing behind one of the trees, and he poked his head out with a smile, beckoning the boy to join him. Yugi smiled brightly and swiftly made his way into the trees until his view of the town was obscured by the vegetation. Yugi rounded the large trunk and found himself looking up at the smiling face of Atem, who greeted him with a warm embrace.

The smile on the wealthy man's face made Yugi's heart melt. "I'm so glad you decided to come," he said warmly, releasing Yugi from his comforting hold.

The boy smiled and replied, "My decision was made as soon as I read your note," he said, "Of course I want to spend the afternoon with you." Atem smiled happily, as Yugi's own smile comforted him, before taking hold of the boy's hand.

"Excellent," he beamed, "Let's go, then." Yugi smiled and nodded, before Atem started leading him through the trees, straying from the dirt road that veered off in the opposite direction.

Yugi then became curious of their destination, as there didn't seem to be any sort of pathway they were following at all, and there wasn't any evidence of other people walking through there, either. He looked down at their joined hands with a smile, before looking back up at the man leading him.

"Atem," he said, grabbing his attention, "Where are we going?"

The man smiled at him, before turning to look back towards where he was going. After all, he did have to dodge various tree branches as he walked. Yugi was lucky to be slightly shorter, and also he could duck behind the wealthy man when he needed to. Yugi couldn't miss the glint in Atem's eyes however, when he replied. "You'll see."

After about 5 minutes of trekking through the tall trees, dodging branches and stepping over roots, Yugi finally saw a break in the trees up ahead; the sunlight filtering in through the vegetation was hard to miss. He followed Atem to the edge of the trees, and when the taller man stepped aside, Yugi saw the area beyond and smiled in awe. A field of soft grass sat before him, surrounding a very small lake, the water glistening in the afternoon sunlight. He walked out into the small meadow, appearing to be completely untouched from human activity. Flowers bloomed on the edge of the trees, their bright petals colouring the greenery around them, and Atem stood back with a soft smile on his face as he watched Yugi take in the beautiful little pocket he had found.

"Wow," Yugi murmured, walking up to the edge of the lake. He stood by the edge of the water, and looked down into the relatively clear surface, his own reflection looking back up at him. He then saw another reflection beside his own, as Atem walked over and stood beside him. "How did you find this place?" Yugi finally asked, tearing his eyes away from the man's reflection, only to look up at its owner.

Atem smiled, "When I was 12 years old, I had a fight with my parents and ran away, finding refuge in the trees on the edge of our estate." He pointed over towards the wealthy part of town, a different direction than they had just come from. "But because of how upset I was at the time, I just kept running, and eventually found this." He motioned to the lake sitting before them. "It seems not many people in our town are as adventurous though, because it doesn't appear that anyone else has been here recently."

Yugi let his eyes run over the beautiful surroundings as he spoke, "Well, the road is far from here," he commented, "Not many people want to stray from the tracks that are already made."

"That's a very good point," Atem replied, smiling down at him. Yugi caught the man staring and a pink blush coated the boy's cheeks, before Atem chuckled and looked back out at the lake. "I always come here when I need to think," he continued, "Because nobody can ever disturb me."

"That's true," Yugi said, "Though now I know about it, I could disturb you," he teased, nudging the man's arm.

Atem chuckled as he sat down on the grass, leaning back on his arms, "That wouldn't bother me at all," he said. Yugi sat beside him as they enjoyed the warm rays of the sun, and the boy laid down on his back, feeling the soft grass under his arms and through his shirt. Atem did the same, propping his head up by his own arms as he lay down on the grass. There was a comfortable silence for a moment, before the man spoke up again.

"Is it odd how happy this makes me?" Atem murmured, staring up at the soft clouds covering most of the sky.

"Hmm?" Yugi had been lost in his thoughts of tranquility as he enjoyed the comforting surroundings while lying next to Atem, though after humming his question, he caught up on what the man had said.

"Just...being here with you," Atem said, turning his head to look at the boy. He smiled at Yugi, "I've never had anyone I've wanted to share this place with." Yugi returned the smile. "I mean, I barely know a thing about you but-" he stopped mid sentence, suddenly discarding his original thought. "Actually, let's fix that," he said, rolling on his side and supporting his head with his hand. "Tell me about yourself."

Yugi was caught by surprise by Atem's sudden demand, and he scratched the side of his head, trying to think of what to say. "Uh...what do you want to know?" he turned his body to face the man, now lying on his side also.

Atem thought for a moment, until his eyes caught sight of the chain around Yugi's neck, disappearing under the neckline of his shirt. "That pendant you wear," he said, pointing at the boy, "It's beautiful, looks like something my mother would wear."

Yugi instantly lifted his free hand to the chain around his neck, grasping it like he did when he needed comfort. He then pulled it out from under his shirt, looking down at the clasp that opened the locket. He knew the question Atem intended to ask, that being how he had something that looked so expensive, but the man had stopped when he noticed Yugi pull the locket out from his shirt.

"This used to be _my_ mothers," Yugi said, looking back up at him. He would have handed it to the man to look at, but seeing as Atem had held it for a day, there was no need to. "My family used to be quite wealthy," he admitted. "How wealthy, I'm not sure, but it doesn't matter anymore. My father lost it all."

Atem looked genuinely surprised, and he raised his eyebrows upon hearing about Yugi's previous wealth. "How did your father lose it all?" he asked.

Yugi sighed, "Don't get me wrong, my father is a great man but...Well, my mother died when I was about 9, and he completely lost his ground. He became distant and depressed, and would snap at me for the smallest things. I think he tried to drown it all out with money, until the day when he had nothing left."

Atem looked speechless for a moment, as he had opened his mouth to say something but whatever words he had conjured must have died in his throat. Yugi gave him time to take it all in, before the man finally spoke. "That's terrible," he said, his eyebrows creased in concern.

Yugi gave him a reassuring smile, "It's alright now though. I don't mind the way we live now, it's simple. Also, I met my best friend after that, he's the reason I snuck into your party."

"Is that so?" Atem chuckled. "Well when I was trying to find you yesterday, I asked my father if he knew which family you belonged to, but of course he didn't because he only knows the wealthy families. Perhaps if I mentioned previous wealth he would know."

"I doubt it," Yugi answered. "From what I remember, we mainly kept to ourselves. We weren't overly wealthy, we still had a few friends in the middle class, though our neighbors always looked down on us for it. My mother didn't like most of the upper class families," Yugi said, sending an amused smile in Atem's direction. "She said they were all too arrogant about their wealth."

Atem chuckled, "Well, I do have to admit, my family certainly does squander wealth a lot. Especially with all of the parties," he groaned, thinking about their ever lasting attempts at making him find a woman. "So I see what you mean." He smiled at Yugi, before another thought hit him. "You know, I'm actually quite glad that you aren't wealthy," he said. "I was completely shut off from what anything was like outside of my estate. I'd rather know what's going on then be completely ignorant to it all."

Yugi let out a long breath of air, "Well, if it helps you understand, my father is working two jobs to keep us going. I've been trying to find a way to help out, but none of the places in town are willing to take me, I have no experience at anything." He dropped his head, as he was reminded of how much of a tight spot they were in at the moment. And the last thing he wanted in that moment was for Atem to offer to lend them some of his endless amounts of money. He was sure Atem's parents wouldn't even notice, but the boy wasn't going to accept any pity money. If he was going to get money he wanted to work for it, just like his father was.

Atem suddenly perked his head up, "You're good with horses, aren't you?" he asked, remembering the stables that sat out the back of Yugi's small stone house. Yugi nodded carefully, a little unsure. "I have the perfect job for you!" he beamed, quickly sitting up as he looked at the boy happily.

"You do?" Yugi sat up also, watching the wealthy man grin from ear to ear.

"We need a stable boy, my parents laid off our last one because he wasn't taking care of the horses properly." Atem seemed to be bursting with excitement. "You know what that means? If my parents give you the job, you'll be at my mansion every day!"

Yugi couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Really?" his eyes lit up with hope at the man's statement. "That would be wonderful!" he beamed from ear to ear as he launched himself at the man, wrapping his arms around Atem in glee. That was the best possible outcome of their conversation he could have ever hoped for. Not only had Atem offered him a way to work for the money he needed, but they would be within the same grounds when he was doing it. That answered two of his problems, one being the need for money, and the other being how they would be able to see each other often. Atem laughed as the momentum of Yugi's hug made him fall back in the grass, and he looked up at the boy who was now on top of him with a smile on his face.

"And I'm sure my parents would let me show you around and help you out until you find your ropes," he added. "We may not be able to be as close as we are now, but at least I'd get to be around you," he said with a warm smile.

Yugi was still grinning widely, "I'm just so happy that two of my worries were solved in one sentence," he said happily.

Atem chuckled, as he moved one of his hands from Yugi's back to his cheek, caressing the pale skin softly, "I don't want you to have any worries," he murmured, before he used his hand to guide Yugi's face towards his, and their lips met in a soft, gentle kiss. It seemed like the perfect moment, lying in the soft grass under the warm sun, completely shut out from the rest of the town, where nobody could find them. They were wrapped in their own little world, full of blissful hope and a wonderful warm feeling spreading through their chests. Was this what it felt like to care for someone and their happiness in a romantic way? Atem wasn't sure, but he loved the feeling, and he relished it along with the feeling of Yugi's lips on his own. Atem then rolled them over intending to end up on top, but he hadn't realised the slight hill they were on, and couldn't stop himself as he continued to roll off of the boy. Yugi quickly grabbed onto Atem's waist to stop his momentum, their kiss now interrupted from the unexpected slope of the ground. Yugi went to pull the man back towards him, when he noticed that Atem was only inches from rolling into the lake behind him. Yugi suddenly had a devious smirk on his face.

Atem raised his eyebrows, "What's that look for?" He then looked over his shoulder and saw how close he was to the clear water, and he turned back to the boy, his eyes now wide. "Wait a second!" But it was too late, for Yugi had let him go and Atem tumbled into the water. He surfaced after only a second, coughing and spluttering seems he hadn't had time to take a breath, and Yugi was rolling around on the grass in a fit of giggles.

Yugi looked down at the soaked man, "Sorry, I had to," he said, a cheeky grin on his face.

Atem stared up at him, trying to make his face look blank without a smile showing. He pulled his shoes off of his feet while still in the waist deep water, and threw them back onto the grass, before he slowly peeled his shirt off also. Yugi lay on the grass before him, shamelessly admiring the view as Atem stripped in front of him. He threw the soaked shirt onto the grass beside the shoes, before turning back to Yugi, narrowing his eyes playfully.

"You'll pay for that," he said, his face now mirroring that of Yugi's only a few moments ago. The boy only had a second to react as he tried to scramble to his feet, but Atem was much faster, and he reached out and grabbed Yugi's arm, pulling him into the water also. Yugi let out a shriek as he hit the water, before quickly gaining his feet on the bottom of the shallow area they were in, and flicking his wet hair out of his eyes. He playfully scowled at the man beside him who was now grinning, before pulling off his own shoes, tipping the water out of them as he did so. Then it was his turn to peel off his shirt, and once he threw it onto the grass beside Atem's, he launched himself at the man, tackling him into the water. They struggled together under the water for a moment, grappling each other's shoulders as they tried not to laugh, before they realised they needed air and resurfaced once again, breathing heavily from their momentary playful brawl.

Yugi flicked some water at Atem, "Meanie," he joked.

"You're the one who started it!" Atem retorted, though he still had a smile on his face. "But you know what we didn't get to finish..." he then said, pulling Yugi towards him once again. Yugi quickly caught on and wrapped his arms around Atem's neck as they stood in the water, now submerged up to their shoulders. No more words needed to be said, and after a moment of smiling at each other, their lips met once again as they kissed right in the middle of the lake.

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Cute times in a meadow xD I'm quite happy with this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as i did writing it! I'm super keen for future chapters too xD though i doubt this story would exceed 20 chapters, but there's still lots to come, don't worry! :D

Also, if you haven't already, you should go check out the poll on my profile. Once I finish my current stories, I need to figure out which of my ten billion story ideas to start next! So obviously the best way to figure that out is to put to you guys! So please go vote for what story you'd like to read next, it'd be heaps of help :D

Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter, please let me know what you think!

PharaohsThrone :)


	8. Chapter 8 - The Love Guru

_**A/N: I am so so so so so so sorry this has taken so bloody long and I am soooo sorry that this chapter is so short but the last week or so has just been bleh. For one I haven't been home in 4 days, I've suddenly gotten a shit ton of hours at work and uni has just started up again. Somebody shoot me. Terribly sorry, but I hope this suffices, and thank you all for being so patient! :) Enjoy!**_

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The next morning, Atem was walking through the mansion searching for his father. He was hoping that it wouldn't be too hard to convince his parents to let Yugi be the new stable boy, but he really wasn't sure. He also wasn't quite sure how to explain the way in which he knew of Yugi, because he certainly couldn't tell them that the boy had snuck into their party the other night. He sighed and scratched the back of his head as he walked through the mansion, going through what he might say in his head as he walked. He didn't know why he suddenly felt so nervous about asking, though it made sense. Up until then, there hadn't been anybody who mattered to him like Yugi did, and now he wanted to do all he could to help the boy, and he would feel pretty terrible if he ruined this chance for Yugi by saying the wrong thing. He was still deep in thought when he turned the corner and almost ran into a large man, and he let out a noise of surprise and stumbled back.

"Father," he said, still startled from the man's sudden appearance. He quickly collected himself as he stood up straight once more, nervously tugging on the hem of his shirt.

The man gave Atem an amused laugh, "Why so surprised to see me? I do live here you know," he chuckled and Atem silently wished he had been given more time before he found his father, but he couldn't back out now.

"Y-yes," he coughed to cover up the stutter, before clearing his throat and trying to sound confident once more," Actually, I wanted to ask you something," he began. He was frustrated that he still hadn't decided on how to approach the subject, before deciding that he was over thinking the whole thing way too much, and just let the words come to him. "Are we still in need of a stable boy...?"

...

Yugi was off in his own little world as he moved about the small wooden stable, with Blaze moving impatiently around the confined area, neighing softly every minute or so. Yugi lifted one of the stacks of hay over to the horse, as his mind ran wild with thoughts. He didn't think he could conjure up a word to describe the previous afternoon, the whole thing had just seemed unreal-much like the night he spent with Atem in the storeroom. He was ecstatic that he could potentially be working for Atem's family, able to see the man almost whenever he wanted and for it to not be suspicious at all. He had a content smile on his face as he cleaned up the stable, shoveling away the piles of horse manure and moving bundles of hay around. His other horse, a grey mare named Stella, was always very quiet, and she didn't seem too bothered by Yugi's presence as he moved about the stables, his mind not quite connected to his body.

_"It's such a beautiful summer," Atem commented as he casually floated through the clear water, "Don't you think?"_

_Yugi had been admiring the lilies sticking up out of the water, and he looked up as the man swam past him on his back, staring up at the sky. He nodded, "It is, I'm really glad you found this place. It's been way too hot the past few days." _

_Atem let his feet hit the bottom of the lake once more and moved over to Yugi, a gentle smile on his face. "We can come here and swim whenever we want," he said, taking the boy's hands. "Escape the heat, the people, the separation between classes..." _

_Yugi smiled up at the man, squeezing his hands comfortingly, "It feels like we're outside of everything here..." he murmured. He then sighed, "though not time, we should probably go back soon." Atem's features softened ever so slightly with disappointment, but he knew Yugi was right, they couldn't escape to this little field forever. He smiled and nodded, giving Yugi's hands a squeeze, before turning and making his way out of the lake, shaking the water from his hair as he went._

Yugi almost had to pinch himself to make sure this wasn't all just one long dream, or even a few dreams strung together. Every time he was with Atem he felt like nothing mattered, not their gender, or the separation between classes or what anyone would think of them. Then of course, reality would hit him and he would be reminded that not every story had a perfect happy ending. If anybody found out about his and Atem's relationship it would be the end of them, Atem especially. His family would probably disown him and he would be shamed in front of the whole town. He had so much more to lose than Yugi did, and it made the boy's chest tighten at the thought that he could be the cause of so much pain should he screw up.

Yugi shook his head as he shoveled the last pile of manure into a wheelbarrow, deciding to go back to reminiscing about their afternoon together. Just the thought of Atem's soft crimson eyes were enough to put Yugi at peace, and as he picked up the wheelbarrow and pushed it out of the stables, he almost ran over the toes of his best friend who had suddenly arrived.

"Whoa!" Joey jumped back from the object as his starry-eyed friend snapped out of his thoughts and offered an apologetic smile. "I'd prefer if you didn't run me over," the blond laughed.

Yugi dropped the wheelbarrow, "Sorry Joey, just lost in thought is all," he said, trying to avoid letting his cheeks turn red.

"Right," Joey chuckled, "Just try not to run over any innocent animals while you're at it." Yugi sent his friend a playful glare, before picking up the wheelbarrow once again and wheeling it over to the thin line of trees beside the stables. The horse manure was known to be a good fertiliser for plants, though there weren't many decent ones in this area. All the beautiful foliage was grown up in the wealthy estate, within the gardens of the richer families. Still, Yugi saw no harm in dumping the contents of his wheelbarrow in the small garden they had, as Joey stayed at his heel. "So where were you yesterday afternoon anyway?" The blond asked just as Yugi pulled up the now empty wheelbarrow. The boy smiled, turning and wheeling it back to the stables as Joey followed.

"I went to see Atem," Yugi said, happiness radiating from his vibrant smile.

Joey grinned at his best friend, slinging an arm over the boy's shoulder, "Ah, I see," he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Yugi huffed and pushed his friend off of him, not in favor of Joey's accusation. The blond just laughed, before his smile suddenly dropped in confusion. "Wait, how did you see him?" he suddenly asked, scratching his head. "It's not like you can just waltz into the grounds of his mansion or anything."

Yugi shook his head, "No, we met in the trees on the edge of town," he nodded his head over in the direction of the foliage. "Atem has a secret hiding place there, that nobody knows about," he added. After seeing the look on Joey's face, he continued, "And no, I'm not telling you where it is," he said, lifting his nose in the air as he crossed his arms.

"Aw, man," Joey complained, crossing his own arms with slumped shoulders. "Well did you have a good afternoon?" he asked.

Yugi suddenly smiled again, "It was a great afternoon," he beamed from ear to ear, and Joey chuckled.

"Aw, my little Yug is growin' up!" he joked, pulling the boy into a headlock. Yugi complained against the man as he tried to pull himself free, and Joey just laughed.

Once Yugi was able to pull himself out of Joey's grasp, he smirked as a thought came to him. "What about _your_ love life?" he teased, poking his side, "Scared Mai away yet?"

Joey was caught off guard by Yugi's sudden question, and was unable to stop his face from heating up at the girl's name. "As a matter of fact, I haven't," he said confidently. "But, uh..." he reached up to rub at his neck as he looked to the side, "That was kind of the reason I came here..."

Yugi's smirk slipped and he turned his head to the side, "What's the problem?" he asked. Joey sighed and sat down on a bundle of hay sitting just outside the stables, and Yugi soon joined him on the adjacent bundle.

Joey looked over at the ground a few meters away from where they were sitting, and he laughed, shaking his head. "I never thought I'd be the one asking for dating advice from you of all people," he joked. Yugi laughed, but sat there intently, waiting for Joey to continue. The blond sighed, "See, I'm trying to find out if Mai likes me or not, but either way I don't want to make a fool out of myself," he explained. "How did you manage to get Atem so easily?"

Yugi chuckled nervously, "Well, Atem and I just kind of...happened." Yugi couldn't think of any other way to put it. "It was a rare occurrence if anything."

Joey nodded, staring at the ground. "A series of unlikely events that brought you two together..." He laughed to himself, before looking back at his friend. "Well, rare occurrence or not, you still managed to get game before me. Any advice?" he gave the boy his signature cheesy grin, and Yugi just laughed.

"I don't know..." The boy said once he had calmed down, "She seems interested in you at the least," Yugi shrugged. "Do you have the balls to just dive in and see what happens?"

Joey bit his lip and instantly shook his head. "I'm not gonna make a bold move unless she feels the same way, I don't want to ruin our friendship," he explained.

Yugi laughed lightly, "Well then just be confident and, I don't know, drop her hints. Maybe she'll pick up on it and respond."

Joey lifted a hand to his chin as if processing Yugi's words manually. After a moment, he seemed pleased with the boy's answer and turned back to his friend. "I guess I could try that. I mean, if she only thinks I'm a friend then I can back off and pretend it was nothing. Yeah." Nodding to himself with satisfaction, Joey smiled at his friend. "Thanks, Yug."

The boy chuckled, "No worries, Joey."

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Yeah, uh, as I said before, sorry for the late update and reaaally short chapter, BUT this story is just about to get exciting! :D So hopefully it won't take too long for me to update all my other stories then get back to this one, but we'll see. Hope you liked the chapter! :)

PharaohsThrone :)


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